Aluminum Model Toys

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AMT logo
1948-1976, 2000-

Aluminum Model Toys (AMT) was the original producer of Star Trek model kits and acquired the license in 1966, shortly after the premiere of the original series. This licensing deal was brokered between Gene Roddenberry and Stephen Edward Poe, an employee of an advertising firm which had been retained by AMT for marketing and communications purposes.

Michigan-based AMT started out in 1948 as a manufacturer of model cars and trucks, both as model kits and as finished display pieces made for marketing purposes. Model kits became the company's core product line in the mid-1960s and Star Trek models were the company's first foray into producing products other than automobile and truck kits.

AMT logos
1977-1981 (outside US)
File:AMTErtlLogo.jpg
'82-'86	'87-'92	'87-'92

AMT ended its existence as an independent company in 1977 when it was acquired by Lesney Products, the owner of Matchbox. In 1981, the die-cast toy and model kit manufacturer Ertl Company acquired AMT from Lesney and established the AMT/Ertl brand and logo in 1982.

The AMT/Ertl brand came to an end in 1999 when the company was acquired by Racing Champions, now known as RC2 Corporation. The combined company was then re-branded as Racing Champions/ERTL. However, the company redefined its mission in 2003 and AMT/Ertl was split into its original components. In 2007, AMT was sold to Round 2 LLC, its current owner.

Star Trek association

File:Galileo AMT model kit.jpg

Galileo shuttlecraft model kit

AMT was given the rights in 1966 to produce models based on the show in exchange for helping out Desilu Studios with the construction of set pieces when needed. Stephen Poe was instrumental in brokering the deal, who was also was given free access to the studio lot which eventually resulted in the book The Making of Star Trek. Through their subsidiary at the time, Custom & Speed Shop, headed by Gene Winfield, AMT was called upon to construct the studio model of the Galileo Class F shuttlecraft as well as the full scale exterior mock-up. Also produced at the Speedshop was the studio model of the Klingon D7-class, which originated from the desire of AMT to do a follow-up of the very successful USS Enterprise model kit - over a million copies sold at that time according to Matt Jefferies (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 9, p. 66). Specifically designed for AMT by Jefferies, one of the two "master tooling models" (templates for the molds from which the production model kits were to be cast) fabricated, was immediately appropriated by the studio (struggling at the time with severe budget cuts) for use as filming model in the third season of Star Trek: The Original Series, betraying its origin as a master for a model kit by not having internal lighting. The Enterprise and D7 model kits were the only model kits released while the series was still running. The company further released versions of Romulan Bird-of-Prey, a model of Spock, the Galileo shuttlecraft, a standard exploration set (communicator, phaser, and tricorder), the bridge, and Deep Space Station K-7, even after the series was canceled in 1969.

During the period 1966-1972, AMT chose not to license the Star Trek name outside of the US. During that period, Aurora, another noted model kit company, leased AMT's molds and released the models outside of the US. Though the molds were the same and even the packaging was, besides the imprint, virtually identical, legally, Aurora's releases of the four models were not associated with AMT. The Spock figure kit originated from Aurora but a reciprocal leasing agreement gave AMT the exclusive rights to release the figure in the US. AMT bought the Spock figure's tooling from Aurora in 1976.

The company retained the license through the 1970s, and, at the time owned by Lesney (1977-1981), eventually produced kits for Star Trek: The Motion Picture. In 1981, the company was bought by Ertl, becoming AMT/Ertl. In 1984, after having renegotiated the license the previous year, the new combination began releasing Star Trek model kits, starting with reissues of some of the previously marketed kits under a new numbering system. The company began a true expansion of their Star Trek line with kits based on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine models followed in the 1990s, as well as more ships from the subsequent eight motion pictures. The company did not acquire the license for Star Trek: Voyager, which went to Revell-Monogram. The last new kits were released by 1999. Later that year the company was acquired by Racing Champions.

Releases of Star Trek model kits went dormant as the new parent company was trying to decide in what direction it would evolve. A half hearted attempt to revive the line occurred when re-releases were announced, of which only four were marketed in 2005 under its original brand "AMT/Ertl", though the company by that time was already split up in its two original components. Those four kits were the only releases of the AMT line that were marketed in eight years. However, in 2007, AMT changed hands yet again, this time acquired by Round 2 under whose ownership AMT (sporting the original imprint of AMT) started the run of re-releases in 2008 with a commemorative edition of its very first Enterprise model kit - (though the Enterprise kit was not a reissue of the original kit, but was instead a reissue of the model from much later renditions of the tooling, and was substantially different from the original AMT Enterprise model from 1966.)

Star Trek releases

Star Ship Model Kits
Item	As	Scale	Issue	Item No.	Notes
USS Enterprise	AMT	1:650	1966	S921	Issued with rudimentary lighting option
			1968	S951	Re-tooled and renumbered; new box; enhanced lighting option; varying plastic colors were used
			1973		New box art; enhanced decal sheet (sister ships)
			1975		New box format; re-tooled; no lighting option from this issue onward
	AMT/Lesney		1979	PK5102	European reissue of S951; Matchbox imprint "Yellow Crown Range"
	AMT/Ertl		1984	6676	Reissue under new numbering scheme; logo not yet adjusted but slightly adjusted box art to reflect new ownership
			1989		Reissue, new horizontal format box
		1:500	1996	8790	"Cut-away" version; option to have the model built as "open" or "closed "; scale on box erroneously stated as 1:650
	AMT/Round2	1:650	2008	AMT609	Limited edition (1701 pieces); Reissue of S921; Tin box with art print
				AMT610	"Legacy" reissue of S921 in 1966-style packaging
			2009	AMT640	Reissue of AMT609, cast in blue plastic
			2011	AMT695	Includes 2 in-scale Tholian web-spinners; Includes USS Defiant (NCC-1764) decals; cast in phosphorescent plastic.
Klingon D7-class Battle cruiser	AMT	1:650	1968	S952	Issued with lighting option
			1975		New boxformat; no lighting option from this issue onward
	AMT/Ertl		1991	6743	25th Anniversary reissue with new stand; labeled as "Original Edition Klingon Cruiser"
	AMT/Round 2		2011	AMT699	Collector's edition; re-issue of S952; tin box with poster box-art; cast in light-green with chrome parts
				AMT720	Re-issue of S952; cast in light-green with chrome parts; new decal sheet
File:AMT Model kit S952 Klingon Battle Cruiser 1975..jpg
Galileo 7 Shuttlecraft	AMT	1:35	1974	S595
			1975		New boxformat
	AMT/Ertl		1991	6743	25th Anniversary reissue with new decals, horizontal format box, and retooling of windows.
File:AMT Model kit S959 Galileo 7 1974.jpg File:Galileo AMT model kit.jpg
Exploration Set	AMT	1:2	1974	S598	Comprises phaser, tricorder and communicator
			1975		New boxformat
USS Enterprise Bridge	AMT	1:35	1975	S950	Included scale figures of Kirk, Spock and Sulu
	AMT/Ertl		1991	6007	25th Anniversary reissue with new decals and retooling of figures.
Romulan Bird-of-Prey	AMT	1:650	1975	S957
	AMT/Lesney		1979	PK5106	European reissue of S957 as "Romulan Space Ship"; Matchbox imprint "Yellow Crown Range"
	AMT/Round2		2011	AMT665	Re-issue op S957, 1975 style packaging
				AMT666	Collector's edition; re-issue of S957; tin box with poster box-art
File:AMT Model kit S953 Romulan Bird of Prey 1975..jpg
Space Station K-7	AMT	1:7600	1975	S955	Included small, in-scale model of the USS Enterprise
	AMT/Lesney		1979	PK5105	European reissue of S955; Matchbox imprint "Yellow Crown Range"
	AMT/Round2		2010	AMT644	Reissue of S955 in 1976-style packaging
				AMT645	Collector's edition; reissue of S955; tin box with Tribble
File:AMT Model kit S955 Space Station K-7 1976.jpg..jpg File:AMT Model kit AMT645 K-7 Space Station 2010.JPG
USS Enterprise-A (or Refit)	AMT/Lesney	1:537	1980	S970	Star Trek: The Motion Picture imprint
				PK5110	European release; different box art; Matchbox imprint "Yellow Crown Range"
	AMT/Ertl		1984	6675	Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan imprint
			1985		Star Trek III: The Search for Spock imprint
			1987	6693	Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home imprint
			1989	6693	Star Trek V: The Final Frontier imprint; included a shuttlecraft at 1:230 scale
			1991	6959	With lights and sound effects
			1992	8617	Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country imprint; reissue of 6876; first release batch also included Galoob's Enterprise-D toy
Klingon K't'inga-class Battle cruiser	AMT/Lesney	1:537	1980	S971	Released only as "Klingon Cruiser"
				PK5111	European release; different box art; Matchbox imprint "Yellow Crown Range"
	AMT/Ertl		1985	6682	Star Trek: The Motion Picture imprint
			1992	8229	Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country imprint
Vulcan Shuttle	AMT/Lesney	1:187	1980	S972
				PK5112	European release; different box art; Matchbox imprint "Yellow Crown Range"
	AMT/Ertl		1984	6679	Star Trek: The Motion Picture imprint; reissue under new numbering scheme
			1985		Star Trek III: The Search for Spock imprint, though the model never appeared in that film
	AMT/Round2		2009	AMT641	Improved release, with magnetic attachment and revised detailing
USS Enterprise-D	AMT/Ertl	1:1400	1988	6619
			1995	8772	Contains fiber optic lighting
				8793	Star Trek Generations imprint
			1996	8400	"Plus Pack"; contains glue, paint and brush
	AMT/Ertl-Platz		2010	GDS8138	Sub-licensed Japanese reissue; improved decal sheet
	AMT/Round2			AMT656	"Special Edition"; cast in transparent styrene for lighting purposes; replacement release for announced but canceled kit AMT643 which was an intended re-issue of 6619[1]; Two issues in 2010, each which different box-art.
		1:2500		AMT662	"Cadet Series"
Klingon Vor'cha-class Battle cruiser	AMT/Ertl	1:1400	1992	6812
Runabout USS Rio Grande	AMT/Ertl	1:72	1993	6741
USS Excelsior/USS Enterprise-B	AMT/Ertl	1:1000	1994	6630
			1995	8761	Star Trek Generations imprint; retooling of 6630
	AMT/Ertl-Platz		2010	GDS8136	Sub-licensed Japanese reissue; improved decal sheet
	AMT/Round2		2011	AMT676	Re-issue 8761
Deep Space 9 Space Station	AMT/Ertl	1:3300	1994	8778
			1995	8764	Includes fiber optic lighting
	AMT/Round2		2012	AMT751	New decal sheet; cast in clear plastic for lighting purposes; includes 1:2500 USS Defiant model
Klingon Bird-of-Prey	AMT/Ertl	1:350	1995	8230	Star Trek Generations imprint
			1997	6339	Includes "Flight Display" base, transparent mount for floating in mid-air appearance
				unknown	"Plus Pack"; contains glue, paint and brush
	AMT/RC2		2005	38389	Presented as B'rel-class
	AMT/Round2		2011	AMT664	Improved tooling; includes optional landing gear
USS Reliant	AMT/Ertl	1:537	1995	8766
	AMT/Round2		2011	AMT667	Re-issue 8766; improved tooling
			2012	AMT714	Limited "Clear Edition"; cast in transparent plastic for lighting purposes
USS Defiant	AMT/Ertl	1:420	1996	8255
			1997	8398	"Plus Pack"; contains glue, paint and brush
Cardassian Galor-class Ship	AMT/Ertl	1:750	1996	8324
USS Enterprise-E	AMT/Ertl	1:1400	1997	6326
			1999	30065	Star Trek: Insurrection imprint
	AMT/Ertl-Platz		2010	GDS8139	Sub-licensed Japanese reissue; improved decal sheet
	AMT/Round2		2009	AMT613	Reissue of 6326
		1:2500	2010	AMT663	"Cadet Series"
USS Enterprise-C/USS Yamaguchi	AMT/Ertl	1:1400	1999	8001
				30065	"Pro Shop""; cast in clear plastic; featuring lighting rig
	AMT/Ertl-Platz		2010	GDS8137	Sub-licensed Japanese reissue; improved decal sheet
	AMT/Round2	1:2500		AMT661	"Cadet Series"
		1:1400	2011	AMT721	Reissue 8001; with battle damage decals
Romulan Warbird	AMT/Round2	1:3200	2012	AMT753	Reissue of one piece from kit 6858; new decal sheet
Multi-Piece Star Ship Model Kit Sets
3-Piece Space Ship Set Contains the USS Enterprise, Klingon D7 Battle cruiser, Romulan Bird of Prey	AMT	1:1600	1975	S953	First 'mini kit'; contains in-scale models
	AMT/Ertl		1984	6677	Reissue under new numbering scheme
			1989		Reissue with new packaging
File:AMT Model kit S953 Space Ship Set 1975..jpg File:3PieceShip-F.jpg
3-Piece Star Ship Set Contains the USS Enterprise NCC-1701, NCC-1701-A, NCC-1701-D	AMT/Ertl	1:2500	1988	6618
			1991	6005	25th Anniversary chrome plated edition
			1995	8787	Includes "Flight Display" base, transparent mount for floating in mid-air appearance
	AMT/RC2		2005	38387	Reissue under new numbering scheme
3-Piece Star Ship Set "Adversary Set" containing Romulan Warbird (1:3200), Klingon Bird of Prey (1:1400) and Ferengi Marauder (1:3700)	AMT/Ertl	Multiple	1989	6858	First issue of the "Bird of Prey" (with movable wings); only issue of the Ferengi Marauder until 2012
	AMT/RC2		2005	38390	Reissue under new numbering scheme
3-Piece Star Ship Set "Legendary Space Encounter" contains the USS Enterprise and two D7-class Klingon Battle cruisers	AMT/Ertl	1:2200	1996	8254	Featuring fiber optic display, and episode audio clips from TOS: "The Enterprise Incident"
3-Piece Star Ship Set Contains the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-B, NCC-1701-C, NCC-1701-E	AMT/Ertl	1:2500	1999	8002
	AMT/RC2		2005	38388	Reissue under new numbering scheme
3-Piece Star Ship Set Contains the USS Enterprise NCC-1701, NCC-1701-A and NCC-1701-B	AMT/Round2	1:2500	2010	AMT660	"Cadet Series"
2-Piece Adversary Set Contains "Klingon Bird of Prey" (with movable wings) and "Ferengi Marauder"	AMT/Round2	1:1400 1:3700	2012	AMT752	Reissue of two pieces from kit6858; new decal sheet
Figure Model Kits
Mr. Spock	AMT	1:12	1974	S956	US market release; use of Aurora Plastics Corporation's set of molds
			1975		Reissue; new box format
	AMT/Lesney		1980	S973	Retooled version of 1968 release adjusted for Star Trek: The Motion Picture; this kit was not released separately in Europe
	AMT/Ertl	1:6	1995	8704	Vinyl kit
	AMT/Round2	1:12	2009	AMT624	Collector's edition; Reissue of S956; Tin box with art print
				AMT625	Reissue of S956 in 1974-style packaging
Captain James T. Kirk	AMT/Ertl	1:6	1994	8773	Vinyl Kit
Doctor Leonard McCoy				8774	Vinyl kit
Quark			1995	8719	Vinyl kit
Odo				8761	Vinyl kit
Collector's Gift Set				8761	Containing 8773, 8774 and 8777
Chief Engineer Mr. Scott				8777	Vinyl kit

Trivia

• The USS Constellation as seen in TOS: "The Doomsday Machine" is an AMT model kit, nr. S921, appropriately battle-damaged. The ship was given the registry NCC-1017, mostly because it was simple to rearrange the model's decal sheet and was the first time the reciprocal arrangement between AMT and the studio panned out in one of AMT's model kits showing up on screen.
• The USS Enterprise as seen in TOS: "The Trouble with Tribbles" was another AMT kit, seen in Lurry's office window and orbiting the far side of Deep Space Station K-7.
• In 1974 AMT included a Interplanetary U.F.O. Mystery Ship into the Star Trek line, thereby suggesting that the design was part of the Star Trek universe, though it was not, its combined advertising on the box sides, pamphlets and catalogues of the time notwithstanding. It did have however, had some behind-the-scenes connections. First off, the U.F.O. Mystery Ship was originally designed as the Leif Ericson by Matt Jefferies (with the forward bridge module having more than a passing resemblance of the conning tower of the SS Botany Bay) for an abandoned Sci-Fi project named, "Strategic Space Command."[2]. The concept was thought up by Jefferies together with his friend Stephen Edward Poe. [3] AMT's idea behind backing the project was–buoyed on by the success of their first Star Trek model kits–to release a series of Sci-Fi kits accompanied by a worked-out "mini" background story and eventually create a Strategic Space Command universe, beefed out with an accompanying line of model kits [4]. AMT eventually released the model in 1968 as kit No.S954. The original kit was considered a commercial failure and the project fell apart. Secondly, according to Michael Okuda the design, being a Jefferies design, was seriously considered to be part of the Star Trek universe, when it was briefly considered to make an appearance in Star Trek: The Animated Series, already showing up in several preliminary story boards [5][6]. In a ploy to recuperate their investments, AMT re-released the model kit twice, now designated Interplanetary U.F.O. Mystery Ship, molded in phosphorscent plastic to achieve a glow-in-the-dark effect. The first re-release was an attempt to marry the ship into the Star Trek franchise through combined advertising, and was timed to coincide with the airing of the The Animated Series, though its appearance there never came to fruition. Still, AMT's latest owner, Round 2 LLC, opted to re-release the the kit, starting in 2009 with the 1975-issue as a retro edition.

Item	As	Scale	Issue	Item No.	Notes
Leif Ericson aka U.F.O. Mystery Ship	AMT	1:500	1968	S954	Design for abandoned "Strategic Space Command"-project
			1974	S960	Reissue; cast in glow material
			1976		Reissue; new boxart
	AMT/Round2		2009	AMT622	Commemorative glow reissue S960
			2011	AMT698	Commemorative non-glow reissue S954
File:AMT Model kit AMT622 Interpanetary UFO Mystery Ship 2009..jpg File:AMT Model kit AMT698 Leif Ericson 2011.jpg
AMT Leif Ericson

• Industrial Light & Magic made use of a number of kits, no.S970, to construct custom-made smaller sized studio models of the refit-Enterprise and USS Reliant, both appearing for the first time in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
• AMT/Ertl models often appeared as set dressings during the first few seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation, including the Enterprise-A and an appraisal prototype of the USS Enterprise-D itself.
• Rick Sternbach and Andrew Probert created the Constellation-class NCC-7100 study model from two Enterprise-A kits and various other parts.
• AMT/Ertl models were used for several "kitbashed" starships from TNG and DS9. Parts from the Enterprise-D models were incorporated into the wrecked ships seen in TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II" and the Nebula-class study model seen in TNG: "Future Imperfect" and "The Wounded". Many background ships seen during the Dominion War saga used parts from AMT/Ertl and Revell-Monogram model kits, specifically the Enterprise-A, the USS Excelsior, the USS Reliant, the runabout, the Maquis raider and the USS Voyager most notably in the episode DS9: "A Time to Stand".
• The AMT model of the original Enterprise was released many times over nearly thirty years. One of these models was built by future producer Ronald D. Moore when he was young. It ended up as a set decoration in James T. Kirk's crew quarters during Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
• Parts of AMT model kits were sometimes used by Visual Effects houses to embellish their professional studio models. An early example is the use of a warp nacelle from the Romulan warbird model kit and two nacelle caps of the USS Enterprise-D model kit used as features underneath Industrial Light & Magic's SD-103 type studio model in The Undiscovered Country. [7]

AMT/Ertl 30th Anniversary bonus posters
1995-1996

• On the occasion of the 30th Anniversary AMT/Ertl commissioned the production of two cutaway posters of the USS Enterprise-A and USS Enterprise-D and inserted those in their 1995-1996 model kit issues as a bonus. Which one was included was indicated by a sticker on the packaging. The artwork was done by C. Bruce Morser. As with the Sci-Pub Tech publications, the cutaway posters are not considered canon.
• A medical device used by Julian Bashir in DS9: "Visionary" was an other warp nacelle from the Romulan warbird model kit. Coincidentally, the Romulans were the main adversaries in the episode.
• Most of the gold models in the display cases in the USS Enterprise-E conference lounge, featured in Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek Nemesis were gold plated, resin-reinforced AMT/Ertl models, built by John Eaves.
• Set decorator James Mees used a colorfully repainted Hallmark "Keepsake" USS Voyager and a Klingon Bird-of-Prey for Miral Paris' baby crib mobile in VOY: "Prophecy". The mobile's Klingon D7 class battle cruiser was made from a small plastic model from the AMT Star Trek 3-Piece Space Ship Set.

See also

• Aurora Plastics Corporation
• Polar Lights

External links

• A History of the AMT Enterprise Model by Jay Chladek at culttvman2.com
• Current AMT Star Trek lineup
• Collectormodel.com - Round2 blog including AMT products
• Aluminum Model Toys at Wikipedia